I would rather build a set from scratch. The rented sets I have had experience with are generally a pain-- pieces missing, hardwear bent, no instructions... If I'm going to have problems putting a set together, I'd rather be able to prevent it instead of having to figure out how to fix everything.

I prefer built from scratch, too. For me, part of the theatre experience is creating everything yourself. Renting sets/costumes/etc feels like I'm opening a can from the store, dumping it out on the stage, and that's my show.

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Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:55 pm

*Eponine

Fresh Face

Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:46 amPosts: 12

At college we're doing a production of Romeo and Juliet.

At the Palace Theatre ion Manchester a few months ago there was also a professional touring production.

For some reason we managed to get part of the professional set, such as Juliets tomb. It's spectaular and extremely heavy, but it does it's job perfectly!

Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2005 5:26 pmPosts: 289Location: Lost in a great forest

With a built from scratch set, you get exactly what you want, not the closest thing the prop shop had. Also, if something gets damaged, you better just hope it was something built and not something rented, or else there's hell to pay. And I like that you can adapt a built set. On opening night (or half-way through the run even) you discover a part of the set is imparing the actor's performance, what do you do? If it's rented, you tell them to deal with it. If it was made, you can do something about it. It makes life a whole lot easier.

I guess it has a lot to do with where you get it, too. We just bought a Hello Dolly set from a local theatre group, and it's definitely on its last legs. They needed to get rid of it, so they sold it to us for a really cheap price. The whole thing is basically held together by hinges and pins, which would be fine except most of the hinges were bent completely out of shape, and we had to replace them ALL. Ugh.

I just stage managed R&J this October- it was a great experience.

Sun Jan 15, 2006 4:15 pm

*Eponine

Fresh Face

Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:46 amPosts: 12

^ Hello! Thats what I'm doing - Stage Managing Romoeo and Juliet.

I think we should PM

And I didn't even answer the question of the topic before:

Yes, built sets, you can change things without feeling guilty. You can be more open, and more people have input and ideas on how it should look...
Definitely built.

I think it depends on the show. I prefer to build my own sets, but sometimes there are nice rentals. One of the directors that I work with prefers to buy old sets from people that are ready for the trash and then fix 'em up. That's what we did for The Music Man.

I like both. If there are elements that can't be built cheaply and you are on a bugdet, it is better rent pieces that are too complicated to build, or its too expensive to build. I like building the sets from scrach because it gives a cleaner look to the sets, also it gives a little more freedom to set designer, which I like. Though well-maintain stock is fine.

from what i have experienced, mainly from a huge festival that takes place in Wisconsin, built sets are much more efficent. See the thing i always find out is getting the set is not the hard part....its creating a set that does what you need it to do that is efficent and managable. I took a job for a high school doing Into the Woods and literally made the show by creating a set that literally looked soo complex but was so simple.....it was 4 platforms with beams in each corner with lattice work on the back. we put tree limbs on the back of the lattice work and stuff and it looked dead on it. then put the platform on wheels so we could turn it and BAM..walah.....it was really great